Xmas Recycled Burlap Gift Bags

Gosh, I sure do love recycling!.  Making something pretty and useful from other people's throw-aways is one of my joys.  When I attended a niece's wedding, I was happy to receive a rustic burlap bag of macadamia nuts...for the bag!  It was a cute size but had the couple's names printed on the front.  I decided to use a white Ken Oliver opaque paint to cover up the names.  I'm sure that regular thick white acrylic paint would work too, but I used what was on my craft table...LOL!  I put some folded paper inside the bag so that the paint wouldn't bleed to the back.  Once the paint was dry, I used Tim Holtz stencils to print the words.  The ink I used for stenciling was a permanent red stamping ink. I think that the curved stencil brushes work extremely well...medium size is most versatile.  Tim Holtz die cut old fashioned Xmas design paper pieces were added for color and nostalgia.  I also added jingle bells to the drawstrings and a small piece of holly garland to the 'cheer' bag.  When I start my recycled projects, I never know exactly what the result will be. Today the recycling gods blessed me with the creation of two unique gift bags which will hopeful make the recipients eager to see what they hold. Cheer and Peace to all recyclers!